1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device which includes at least one operation member, and especially relates to a photographic device which has the electronic device including the at least one operation member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various electronic devices are widely used. In general, an electronic device is provided internally with a printed circuit board which is equipped with a plurality of electronic parts, and when the printed circuit board is provided with a switch part, at least one operation button (operation member) which is configured to operate the switch part from outside is arranged at an exterior position corresponding to the switch part.
For example, in a photographic device such as a digital camera, various buttons each of which is configured to switch functions such as various operational modes, macro modes, or self-timer, or to set such as photographing conditions, are provided.
Thus, in the photographic device including a plurality of buttons, the likes of such as backlash or unsteadiness of an operation button, or unevenness of a clearance between an operation button attachment hole provided at an exterior cover and the operation button are factors in decreasing the quality of products. Therefore, a support member integrated with at least one operation button is proposed, to decrease such backlash, unsteadiness, and unevenness of the clearance.
However, in an electronic device having the support member integrated with at least one operation button, it is difficult to dispose the exterior cover relative to the support member integrated with at least one operation button such that a center of the operation button attachment hole of the exterior cover conforms with a center of the operation button integrated structure, and it is necessary to provide a member used for positioning separately, and to adjust an arrangement position through the positioning member.
To solve this problem, JP 2007-172989 A proposes a mechanism which is configured to align a plurality of operation buttons each of which is capable of being pressed relative to a plurality of operation button attachment holes respectively, without using the positioning member. In this mechanism, when the operation button is pushed toward an operation direction, the operation button swings relative to the corresponding operation button attachment hole, when the operation button returns to an initial position by a biasing member which biases the operation button in a direction that the operation button protrudes from the operation button attachment hole, the aligning is carried out by a taper face of a periphery part of the operation button and a taper face of the operation button attachment hole.
On the other hand, in recent years, a photographic device equipped with a metallic exterior member has been produced, to provide a user with the impression of a good external appearance and expensive-looking quality. However, when the photographic device is an electronic device, due to the metallic exterior member having electrical conductivity, the exterior member may be charged (discharged) by static electricity. In addition, the exterior member functions as an antenna and becomes easy to pick up noise from the surroundings, and current generated by the noises may affect internal electric parts negatively.
In contrast, if the exterior member is electrically connected with a grounding pattern of an internal electric circuit, and the potential of the exterior member is made to be the same potential as the grounding potential, the generated current flows to the grounding pattern and then the electric parts can be protected. For example, such a connection method is already known, i.e., by fixing an end of a metal section which has elasticity to a main body of an electronic device, together with a lead wire by a screw or the like, and connecting the lead wire with a grounding pattern of an internal electric circuit by soldering, and when the exterior member is attached to the main body of the electronic device, another end of the metal section is biased and put into contact with an exposed part of the metallic surface of the exterior member, and thus the exterior member is electrically connected with the grounding pattern of the internal electric circuit.
However, as a method of electrically connecting an exterior member with a printed circuit board inside a main body, providing new parts raises a problem of an increase of cost and assembly operation load.
Unevenness of a clearance generated between an operation button attachment hole of an exterior cover (exterior member) and an operation button (operation member) occurs only after the exterior cover is assembled to a main body. The exterior cover is always pressed and put into contact with other members by a biasing member provided at the operation button or a support member, for conducting with other parts or the like. Therefore, it is difficult to adjust the clearance to have evenness after the exterior cover is attached. In addition, as a method of making the potential of the exterior member having electrical conductivity to be the same potential as the grounding potential of a printed circuit board inside a main body, it is difficult to electrically connect the exterior member having electrical conductivity with the printed circuit board inside the main body, without providing new parts or increasing assembly processes.